MinnPost Profiles Candidates in 5th District Race

Five Democrats are vying to earn the party's nomination in this district, which includes the entire city of Minneapolis and the suburban communities bordering it. The 5th is Minnesota’s blue stronghold — it prefers DFL candidates by an average of 26 points — so whoever wins the primary on August 14 is virtually guaranteed to be the district’s next member of Congress.

Highlights

“I’m having a really good conversation with people,” Anderson Kelliher told MinnPost. “They respond really well when they hear my background of standing up to Tim Pawlenty… they see that as a way to go to Washington and stand up on their behalf versus Donald Trump.”

On the trail, Anderson Kelliher's playing up her experience as a policymaker. “People seem to really want someone who’s experienced, who’s able to go to Washington, D.C., and hit the ground running on their behalf,” she says.

The former House speaker, who lives in Minneapolis herself, has notched endorsements from the mayors of five suburban cities, including Richfield, Edina, and Golden Valley. She has been endorsed by nine current members of the legislature, most of whom represent more suburban areas.

In interviews, Anderson Kelliher has made a point of noting her hopes of representing the entire district. “The ability to really build the broadest coalition, including the suburbs and the city, seems really important to people,” she says.